Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Criminal Bind

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges star as the title outlaws. Thunderbolt (Eastwood) is hiding out as a preacher and car thief Lightfoot (Bridges) picks him up while he's being chased and shot at. They drive around, have some crazy adventures -- including a tumble with hottie Catherine Bach -- and bond a bit, and then Thunderbolt's pursuers catch up to them. They are former cronies Red Leary (George Kennedy) and Eddie Goody (Geoffrey Lewis). After some fighting, they all decide to rob a bank. Writer/director Michael Cimino would later be described as a visionary for his larger films The Deer Hunter and Heaven's Gate, but Thunderbolt and Lightfoot -- his directing debut -- is a great deal of fun, with its loose, unhurried emphasis on characters instead of action or thrills. Bridges in particular seems to know something his co-stars don't; he has a certain physical command of his character that's very appealing, and he received an Oscar nomination. Reportedly, Eastwood already knew, and was not pleased, that Bridges was stealing scenes during the production, which maybe explains why this winning team has never worked together again.

The movie was difficult to find for a time, but now Kino Lorber has released a very fine DVD edition (though apparently no Blu-ray). It includes a poster gallery and a theatrical trailer.